Global Ski Industry Hits All-Time High with 399 Million Visits in 2024/25 Season, Defying Climate Anxieties with High-Tech Snowmaking, According to the 18th International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism

Presented at the Mountain Planet Exhibition in Grenoble, the Data Proves Resort Operators Have Successfully Decoupled Skier Attendance From Natural Weather Patterns

GRENOBLE, France — The narrative that global warming constitutes an immediate existential threat to alpine tourism has just been comprehensively challenged by the industry's most authoritative data set. According to the 18th edition of the International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism, formally presented by independent consultant Laurent Vanat at the Mountain Planet exhibition in Grenoble, the 2024/25 winter season marked the strongest performance the global ski industry has recorded in the first quarter of the 21st century.

Worldwide skier visits surged to a staggering 399 million, eclipsing the previous pre-pandemic benchmark of 392 million set during the 2018/19 cycle. The figure represents an extraordinary reversal of fortune from the 2020/21 season, when the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out nearly 50% of global visitation. Instead of a sector in decline, the 18th Report paints a picture of a highly resilient industry that has successfully engineered its way out of both health crises and meteorological volatility.

Quick Summary

• Total Global Skier Visits: A record-breaking 399 million during the 2024/25 season.
• The Report: The 18th International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism, authored by Laurent Vanat.
• Climate Resilience: Attendance was successfully decoupled from natural snowfall via advanced snowmaking technology.
• Top Performers: China remains the leading growth market; Switzerland achieved its best results in over 15 years.
• The Exceptions: Israel and South Africa were the only two equipped countries that did not offer skiing during this cycle. Japan and Germany have been slower to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
• Financial Shift: While walk-up "window prices" are rising, the actual revenue per skier visit is growing at a slower pace due to the heavy reliance on season passes.

Beating the Weather: The Triumph of the Snowmakers

The most significant conclusion drawn from the 2024/25 data is the industry's successful adaptation to shifting environmental realities. Across both Europe and North America, winter 2024/25 recorded natural snowfall levels that were frequently below historical averages. Yet, visitation remained stable or increased.

The report attributes this decoupling of attendance from the weather directly to proactive corporate strategy: intensive capital investment in advanced snowmaking infrastructure and highly efficient resort slope management. Because resorts can now reliably manufacture a consistent base layer, vacationers are no longer canceling trips based on local weather forecasts. The reliability of technical snow production, combined with favorable holiday calendar scheduling, functionally inoculated the industry against bad weather.

Global Winners: China, Switzerland, and the US

A granular look at regional performance reveals that the overwhelming majority of traditional winter sports countries have surpassed their pre-pandemic five-year averages.

• Europe: Switzerland emerged as a standout, recording its most successful season in over 15 years. Sister Alpine nations including Italy, France, Austria, alongside Spain and Andorra, all reported solid positive growth.
• Asia: For the second consecutive year, China was identified as the world's leading growth market, continuing to capitalize on the vast winter sports infrastructure built in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
• North America & Beyond: The United States and Russia confirmed strong positive dynamics.
• The Laggards: The report notes two major exceptions to the growth narrative: Japan and Germany, where the return to pre-pandemic visitation volumes remains distinctly uncertain.

The Financial Warning Light: High Volume, Lower Yield

Despite the record-breaking foot traffic, the 18th Report flags an evolving financial complexity within the industry's business model.

While the "window price" — the cost of a single-day lift ticket purchased at the resort — continues to rise aggressively, the report notes that the actual revenue per skier visit is growing at a much slower pace. This discrepancy is driving down overall yield per guest. Furthermore, the report suggests that the heavily discounted multi-resort season-pass model — which revolutionized demand mechanics in the United States over the last decade — may have finally reached a saturation point in the American market.

Resorts are achieving historic volume, but extracting premium profit from that volume is becoming statistically harder.

A 68-Country Footprint

The scope of global skiing is far wider than the Alps and the Rockies. Vanat's report currently tracks approximately 2,000 ski resorts across 68 countries equipped for outdoor winter sports.

The data confirms the continued operation of ski infrastructure in highly diverse environments, including Cyprus, Greece, India, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Turkey. During the 2024/25 winter, only two countries with equipped facilities — Israel and South Africa — did not offer skiing. Crucially, the report notes that these absences were driven by geopolitical and macroeconomic factors, not a lack of snow or climatic limitations, underscoring the multifaceted risks resort operators face.

Conclusion: Data Over Narrative

Produced annually since 2009 by Laurent Vanat — an independent consultant and University of Geneva alumnus — the report serves as a critical, objective benchmarking tool utilized by global entities including UN Tourism, the FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation), OITAF, and IMTA.

The 18th edition serves a vital purpose in challenging the prevailing mainstream narrative of an industry in terminal, climate-induced decline. By documenting 399 million visits, the data proves that through aggressive technological investment and strategic adaptation, the global ski industry has not merely survived the first quarter of the 21st century — it is actively thriving at the end of it.

(Information sourced from the 18th International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism)

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FAQ: 2024/25 Global Ski Industry Report

Q: How many people went skiing globally in the 2024/25 season? A: A record-breaking 399 million skier visits were recorded worldwide, surpassing the previous record of 392 million set before the pandemic in 2018/19.

Q: What is the International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism? A: It is an annual objective benchmarking report authored by independent consultant Laurent Vanat. It tracks market evolution and business dynamics across the global winter sports industry and is utilized by UN Tourism and the FIS.

Q: How did the ski industry grow despite lower snowfall in some regions? A: Growth was sustained through extreme reliance on advanced snowmaking technology. By manufacturing snow, resorts successfully decoupled their operational reliability from natural weather patterns.

Q: Which countries are leading the growth in global skiing? A: China is the leading growth market for the second consecutive year. Switzerland achieved its best season in 15 years, while the USA, France, Italy, and Austria also posted strong positive growth.

Q: Were there any countries that couldn't open their ski resorts? A: Out of 68 equipped countries, only Israel and South Africa did not offer skiing in 2024/25. The report attributes this to geopolitical and economic factors, rather than a lack of snow.